Wall fixture support



Patented June 2, 1953 UNITED STATE S PAT ENT vlOrFlFl `WALL FIXTURESUPPORT .Martin J Grady, Brdgmamliieh.

.Application September 9, 1949,.Seria1.No..114,760

(Cl. 2&8-4225) 21Claims. 1

Thisiinvention relates broadlyto wall `fixtures, suchias towel'bars andthe like, "and vmore `particularly to "an improved support or mountingmeans for such fixtures.

Towel'bars andother wall fixtures ofthe type used in bathrooms orkitchens are Icommonly mounted by means Vof suitable brackets which are4rattached to 'the 'wall by screws or other similar "fastening elements.Although such bracketsfare often-chromeplated, enameled, or otherwiseprovided withan Yattractive finish, in most'cases th-escrevvs orfastening devices and thefcooperating'attaching portions of thebracketsarelprominently visible when the'bracket is in "mountedcondition thus detracting from lthe overall neatappearance of theiixture.

In some cases 'certain types lof Lwall fixtures have been provided withdetachable mounting means'v comprising usually awall-platerigidlysecuredltothe wall by screws and a cooperating slotforvthellike in theyrear of the fixture slidably engaged over the wall plate. However,mounting means ofithis character have in most instances failed 'to-provide the desireddegree-of `rigidity for the iixture, and anunattractive space-is often evident .betweenl the fixture and the Wall.

In'thecase-of elongated wall nxtures,-such as towelfbars and the like,it has been common practice toemploy two brackets or supports Vdisposedat opposite Yends of the'bar in "order to obtain the necessary rigidityand stability 'of the lixtureonithe-wall. Prior to my invention, vnosatisfactory means has been suggested for mounting ato-wel bar crsimilar elongated'vvall xture using only' 1asingle support having boththe required structural `rigidity and the desired attractiveoverallfappearance.

Accordingly, a primary object of my invention isltopro'vide a. novelsupport fora wall fixture-or thelikelwhich is adapted to yeiect rigidmounting .ofntheinxture on the wall while at the same time .presenting.a highly attractive appearance wthiallJfastening .elements concealedfrom normal view.

Another object .of the invention is to provide a support ufor :a.wall'fixture vor the like which is characterized by anovel two-lpiececonstruction havingafhigh'degree ofzrigidity when in assembled conditionand providing a close'neat-appearing iit-against the supporting wall.

irlurther object of the invention is to provide a novel support for anelongated wall nxture, suchasfaztowel-bar orithe like,which comprisesonlyfa single .mounting means capable-of `rigidly securing the xturetothe 'wall `while presenting aineat-iandattractive:overallappearance.`l

will become 'apparent from subsequent "detailed description of the`invention and the accompany ing drawing in' which:

Fig. 1 is a 'perspectivefview onaredunedscai'e of a towel bar se'curedtoa wall'by meansuffa support `comprising one 4vspecific embodiment of myinvention Fig. 2 is an exploded .plan view showing fthe parts of thedevice in detached relation;

Fig. 3 `is a vertical y'crosssectionalviewftttlien substantially alongthe'line '3il'ofliig."1I

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional' viewftak'en substantially'alongthe line I'll-#4 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken" Reference is novv madeto the drawing lvvhere in I have shown, by way of illustration, iafixture in the form of a-towel'bar-attached'to a wallby meansoi asupport constructed in accordance with `my invention. The devicecomprises two` cooperating ,parts, namely, a mounting member or vbaseindicated generally at -H (Fig. 1) '-whichfis rigidly `aiiixedftorawalll2, and an -elongatedlbar member, indicated generally vfat i3, andl-'come prising a pair "of oppositely extending l'arms "il and i8 whichmay be of any desired length but are "here lillustrated as being `vofrunequal "lengths,

the arms 14bei-ng connected Y'by z-an integral lil-v shaped portion Fl.Extending inwardly from the yU-shaped 'portion l1' yfor lholding the'armsy hi and i6 in outwardlyspaced relation Awith" thevv wall l2 is 'anintegral socket portion fill having La sliding iit with portions of'the-base lfl and se curely retained lthereon by means hereinafterdescribed in detail.

The base 'n comprises a lwan :plate is having'- a peripheral iiange or'rim 2 I Aadapted v-to t against ther` surface of thelwally lf2.Extendingfor-fmail Iview iwhen the device `is 'in assembled -.con''dition.

' The Tforwardly extending supporting 'structure OrattahingImeansis-arranged to fit snuglyfwlt'l'i-l in fthe :socket portion [8, and in`the 'presentins.

stance comprises principally a pair of tubular elements 22 integral withthe wall plate I9 and projecting therefrom in longitudinally spacedrelation adjacent the opposite ends of the plate I9. Screw receivingrecesses are provided by the central openings through the tubularelements 22, and a pair of screws 23 having their head portions disposedwithin the tubular members 22 adjacent the bases thereof extend inwardlythrough aligned aperturesiin the plate I9 for rigidly fastening the baseII to the wall I2. A pair of rearwardly extending screw-receiving bosses24 are formed at the inner face of the plate I9 integrally therewith toprovide additional support for the screws 23 (Fig. 4). An additionalpair of screw-receiving bosses 28 are also provided intermediate thebosses 24 and are formed with weakened areas comprising thin frangiblewebs 21 at the inlet ends thereof which may be readily broken to permitthe insertion of additional screws in the event that more rigid mountingof the base II on the wall I2 is desired or if a different spacing ofthe fastening screws is necessary in order to secure the base II to thelath or stud structure behind the wall surface. An elongated rib 28extends between the bosses 24 and 26 for increasing the structuralstrength of the base. For providing additional support forthe socketportion I8 of the bar member I3, as described below in detail, a pair oflaterally spaced upper and lower lugs or flanges 29 and 3|,respectively, also extend outwardly from the wall plate I9 intermediatethe tubular elements 22.

In the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the socket portion I9 isgenerally oval or elliptical in shape and the end walls are thickened,as at 32 and 33 (Fig. 5), with the inner faces of the thickened endwalls being substantially flat to provide a snug-fitting engagement withthe tubular elements 22 whereby to prevent endwise movement of thesocket portion I8 relative to the base II. In order to impart lateralsupport to the bar member I3, the tubular members 22 are also disposedin contact, as seen at 34 in Fig. 5, with the laterally extending sidewalls of the socket I8 at oppositely spaced points on either side of thedat end walls 32 and 33. Thus, each ofthe tubular elements 22 is intight-fitting engagement with one of the flattened end walls of thesocket I8 and also with the adjacent side walls of the socket at threecircumferentially spaced points around the periphery of the tube.

The upper and lower side walls of the socket portion I8 are alsothickened, as at 36 and 31, and are provided with flat inner faces forsnugly engaging the outer surfaces of the flanges 29 and 3I,respectively. A locking screw 38 extends upwardly'through an apertureinthe thickened lower wall 31 of the socket I8 and is received in acomplementary threaded aperture in the lower flange 3I for retaining thebar member I3 in position on the base II. The locking screw 38 isdisposed at the underside of the socket portion I8 and coacts with thebottom flange 3l in order that the outer head portion of the screw 38may be concealed from ordinary view when the device is mounted on thewall.

In order to install my device, the base II is first positioned at thedesired location on the wall surface and the screws 23 are then insertedand tightened firmly, the base II being thereby secured to the wall insuch position as to hold the bar member I3 level when the device iscompletely assembled. Following the mounting of the base member II, thesocket portion I8 of the bar member I3 is slidably fitted onto theforwardly extending supporting structure of the base I I and the lockingscrew 38 is then fastened in place.

When the device is thus completely assembled, it will be seen that theinner edge of the socket portion I8 abuts the outer face of the wallplate I9 and the walls of the socket portion I8 therefore completelyenclose the outwardly extending supporting structure comprising thetubular elements 22 and the flanges 29 and 3 I. Accordingly, in mydevice all of the fastening elements and the cooperating supportingstructure for the xture are neatly concealed from normal view while thefixture is at the same time rigidly and attractively mounted on the wallsurface.

Although the wall fixture support of my invention has been illustratedherein in connection with a, towel bar, it will be apparent that variousother wall fixtures such as soap dishes, tooth brush racks, cup holders,and the like may be similarly mounted.

An additional feature of the specic embodiment of my invention hereindescribed is found in the highly advantageous structure of the towelsupporting means per se. In this connection, it will be seen that eachof the arms I4 and I6 has a free unobstructed and inwardly curved outerend 39 to permit towels or wash cloths to be slipped endwise onto thetowel bar in a rapid and,

convenient manner. In addition, the upper edges of the arms I4 and I6are turned inwardly to provide flat upper anges or ledges 4I which serveeifectively to prevent slippage of the towels` or wash cloths when thelatter are in place on the bar.

Although the invention has been described in connection with oneparticular structural embodiment, it will be understood that variousmodifications and equivalent structures may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the scope of4 having an elongated generally oval socketmem-y ber slidably mountable on said base with the tubular elementsbeing received within the socket member and engaging the latter at theoppositely disposed ends thereof, the end walls of said socket memberbeing flattened at the inner faces thereof adjacent said tubularelements with said tubular.

elements having close fitting contact with the flattened inner faces ofsaid end walls, and the diameter of said tubular elements being sufh- 4ciently large relative to the generally ova1 configuration of saidsocket member so that each of said tubular elements has a close fittingengage.

ment with the side walls of said socket member at spaced points onopposite sides of the point of contact with the adjacent flattened endwall.

2. A wall fixture comprising a base adapted be mounted atwise on a wallsurface, a pair of tubular elements extending outwardly from said basein spaced relation thereon, a pair of upper and lower flange membersextending outwardly from said base intermediate said tubular elements,and a fixture having Van elongated generally oval socket member slidablymountable on said ange members and said tubular elements, said socketmember having thickened upper and lower side walls and thickened endwalls with theI said tubular elements has a close-litting engage' mentwith the side Walls of said socket member at spaced points on oppositesides of the point of contact with the adjacent :attened end Wall forrigidly and non-rotatably supporting the fixture on said base.

MARTIN J. GRADY.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,276,463 Wells Aug. 20, 1918 1,297,610 Tachudin Mar. 18, 19191,962,739 Hoegger June 12, 1934 2,035,568 Pudliner 1 Mar. 31, 19362,315,955 Hallenscheid Apr. 6, 1943

